Rodents 1893

Curator: Oh, Ferdinand von Wright’s “Rodents,” painted in 1893. It’s an oil painting, and well… what are your initial thoughts? Editor: Honestly? Slightly macabre. There's a stillness to them, like a staged tableau. Not quite what you expect to see immortalized in paint, is it? Curator: It’s an odd choice of subject matter, granted. Von Wright was part of this naturalist movement. He captured the world around him with brutal honesty. These aren’t glorified, idealized creatures. These are… well, rodents. Editor: And that’s the point, isn’t it? We often sanitize our reality, particularly in art. Showing these animals, common but overlooked, challenges that. The date too, 1893, puts it at a time of burgeoning urban expansion, meaning rats were becoming more prominent in society. They are an undeniable symbol of human presence and maybe even failure to control one’s environment. Curator: Exactly. These rats weren’t some distant wildlife, but intimately tied to the development of modern society. The palette too—earthy browns and grays—really anchors them in the grit and dirt of their world. But von Wright doesn't demonize them. They are painted with the same loving detail one would expect from a more conventionally attractive animal. It’s interesting the composition mimics almost a specimen display for science. Editor: Precisely! This gets me thinking, did he perhaps see his artwork as an agent of reform by creating a piece that promotes tolerance and maybe understanding towards what is perceived as socially unseemly? After all, tolerance and social acceptance do evolve alongside expanding cities and a growing melting pot. It goes well against a wall filled with traditional idyllic paintings! Curator: Hmmm. Well, they say that beauty can be found in the most unexpected places, and that, perhaps, might have been exactly the sentiment that he tried to imbue this piece with. It makes one wonder, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely. Von Wright compels us to face what we typically prefer to ignore and question our preconceptions. Thanks to pieces such as "Rodents", it offers a rather different and very interesting outlook into the life of an ever growing populace!